System and apararatus for cost effective automated preparation and coating for large surfaces

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method of preparing and coating a large structure such as a ship&#39;s hull while in a dry dock wherein a plurality of spray guns disposed in an array are positioned by a robotic arm in a spaced relationship along the surface to be treated so that their spray patterns overlap. The array of spray guns is traversed downwardly and thus painting a strip whereupon the spray guns are secured, move horizontally and then are activated to be moved upwardly until another strip adjacent to and overlapping the first strip is painted. These steps are repeated until the surface area is substantially entirely painted. A shroud is provided for collecting paint oversprays and other excess paint is mounted in the array assemblage. An auxiliary spray gun may be positioned and its spray pattern adjusted to apply paint to area which were missed by the original spray pattern emanating from the array of spray guns. Travel of the system along the work surface is accomplished by a reference track, which may be virtual or actual along which an unmanned platform travels. An articulated computer controlled arm is carried by the unmanned platform which in turn carries the assemblage. Other tools may be selectively operatively connected to the arm for cleaning the hull before a coating is applied thereto.

RELATED APPLICATION

Specific reference is made pursuant to 35 United States Code, Section119(e) (1) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/540,623 filed inthe U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Feb. 2, 2004.

This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/090,551,filed on Apr. 4, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,889,459, which is a divisionof U.S. application Ser. No. 13/068,147, filed on May 3, 2011, now U.S.Pat. No. 9,302,286, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.11/046,865, filed on Feb. 1, 2005, which claimed priority to U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/540,623, filed on Feb. 2, 2004.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to an environmentally friendly, wasteminimizing and cost—effective preparation and coating methodology andapparatus utilizing automated systems for preparing and coating largesurfaces.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Large surfaces, such as ships' hulls, which may be supported in drydocks, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,611,849 to Hammelmann and U.S.Pat. No. 3,915,092 to Van den Brock. Both patents describe thepreparation of a hull for surface-treating and subsequently spraypainting the hulls. In the Hammelmann patent a carriage is disclosedhaving horizontal and vertical support structures which are movablealong the top and vertical surfaces of the dry dock's sidewalls. Asurface-treating device in or on a gondola can be disposed at least tothe central longitudinal plane of the dry dock. This enables the deviceto treat the surface of the ship's hull from bow to stem. In otherwords, the gondola can be moved from the deck of the ship in dry dockalong the surface of the hull to the ship's keel. The orientation of thedevice can be automatically changed in response to changes in theinclination or curvature or both of the adjacent surface being treated.The gondola can support one or more attendants or one or moresurface-treating devices such as for the discharge of highly pressurizedwater against the surface of the hull to remove existing paint andprepare the hull for spray painting. Hammelmann also teaches anapparatus intended for grit blasting of ship's hulls. The object is totreat large surfaces having contours relatively quickly. Unlike theapparatus of Hammelmann described above, Van den Brock discloses asupport for carrying a two-arm device for supporting equipment on railsmounted along a vertical side of the dry dock. The treating apparatusmay be sand or grit blasting nozzles, rotary cleaning equipment or paintspray nozzles which are arranged to have slightly overlapping areas.

Attention is also invited to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,285,469 and 4,445,541,also to Hammelmann and Van den Brock respectively. In the latter Van denBroek patent, the processing member for treating ships' hulls compriseshorizontal guide wheels and vertical guide wheels for horizontalmovement and vertical movement, respectively, along the hull. Theorientation of these wheels can be automatically changed so that theprocessing member moves horizontally or vertically, as desired.

Numerous patents have been issued which relate to the painting ofautomobile bodies, such as, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,721,630 toTakeo et al, wherein painting robots are arranged to be moveable onrails on each side of the automobile. The same is true in respect ofaircraft, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,460,177 and 5,248,341 toRhinehart, et al and Berry, Jr. et al, respectively.

Where the surfaces to be treated are not enclosed, such as ships' hulls,silo walls, oil storage tanks, and the like, compliance withenvironmental laws and regulations are required. The problems associatedwith environmental compliance are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,632to Goldbach, et al wherein the need for confined work areas for theclean blasting and the recoating of vessels at dry docks is met, atleast in part, by covering the areas of the clean blasting and coatingoperations as they take place.

The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, developed anautomated painting system for hulls that could be used in Navy andcommercial dry docks. Attention is invited to the article: APACTSRepresents Apex an Environmentally Friendly Painting, page 52 ofCURRENTS, the Navy's Environmental Magazine, Winter 2003. APACTS is alsodescribed in iMAST, a quarterly of the Institute for Manufacturing andSustainment Technologies 1999 No. 4, in which the feature article is:Automated Paint Application, Containment, and Treatment System (APACTS)for Dry Dock Hull Coating Operations by Robert E. Keay, Ph.D. The iMASTarticle states that an automated paint application containment andtreating system (APACTS) was born in early 1997 and wherein the conceptwas to develop a mobile, semi-automated, robotics-control (but withreal-time operator input) platform that can simultaneously apply paintand capture overspray during dry-dock ship hull coating operations.Surveys indicated that there were no patented or commercially availablemobile and “at-the-nozzle” ovcrspray collection means then in existence.The captured overspray is directed to an appropriate physical, possiblychemical, treatment system which also must be mobile in design. Theenvisioned advantages were that faster and more uniform rates of paintapplication would reduce manpower and improve compliance with growingregulations for control of air and water pollutants. With airless paintspray systems, it had been observed that paint overspray was caused whensmall paint particles having insufficient mass to reach the target werecarried away by the entrained airflow. It was estimated that paintparticles of fifty microns or less were most likely responsible for theoverspray. A shroud-like enclosure surrounding the paint spray gun wasrecommended. Its principle was to take advantage of the natural velocitygenerated by the impingement of the spray to separate the overspraycontaining wall jet from the wall and direct it to a suction outlet. Thepaint applicator and capture shroud control concept envisioned employtwo serially linked manipulators under some common supervisory control.This approach provided five degrees of freedom when the largemanipulator is stationary.

The Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center's automatedpaint application, containment and treatment system, (APACTS) to applyanti-corroding and anti-fouling paints in an environmentally soundmanner has been developed and tested. The APACTS System utilizes aself-propelled mobile base which supports a long reach macro-manipulatorwhich in turn carries a quick response micro-manipulator to maneuver apaint spray gun and containment device along the hull of the ship. TheAPACTS design is strictly for coatings application and requires directoperator control. The system does not perform other processes such assurface preparation or monitoring or diagnostic functions.

In view of the foregoing it should be appreciated that a recognized needexists for the automated preparation and painting in outdoorsenvironments as well as in some indoors environments, without waste andenvironmental contamination, large substantially vertical surfaces,particularly hulls of ships while in dry clock, but also fuel storagetanks, grain elevators and other large structures, substantiallyautomatically with minimal human effort other than for programming andmonitoring the process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a computer-controlled, mobile robotic system that byinterchangeable tools and being guided by sophisticated interrelatedcomputer programs, automatically performs surface preparation, coatingapplication and surface measurement, and diagnostic operations for thetreatment of large surfaces. An example of such a surface is a largeship's hull, but the invention may also be used for the automatedsurface preparation and coating of many different large surfacesrequiring same.

The first step of the methodology is to acquire surface measurement datathat defines the targeted work surface. This may include any variety orcombination of technical means available, such as, but not limited to,the use of designer CAD file input, digital imaging and laser mapping.This data is used in an existing process to program roboticallycontrolled arms for treatment operations. Attention is invited to U.S.Pat. Nos. 6,365,221 and 6,562,139 which, in part, describe a datameasurement acquisition method. Acquisition of surface data is alsouseful in the calculation and estimation of the amount of materials orcycle times required to treat the surface involved which, in turn,allows for increased accuracy in the planning of such project along withreduced environmental impact.

Industry is increasingly being automated. Automotive manufacturers have,for many years, painted automobile bodies by automated means. Robotswith articulated arms, outfitted with any one of a variety of types ofspray equipment are programmed automatically to paint automobile bodiesof varying configurations. Typically these robots are affixed in astationary position and perform their operations as programmed while anassembly line moves automobile bodies through the paint booth. Paint isuniformly applied in a repeated fashion while material waste isminimized in the process.

In contrast to what is described above and taught by the prior artwherein articulated arms are mounted on the sides of a dry dock toperform their task, the instant invention comprises acomputer-controlled mobile system which moves along, as an example, thedeck of a dry dock or along the side of any variety of large worksurfaces while the attached, automated, articulated robot arm, its toolsand materials, efficiently provide a specified coating system. Themobile system is programmed to move along a line which may be a virtualline such as determined by a global positioning satellite system, laserguided positioning system, or digital video imaging system or an actualline which is in one way or another either temporarily or permanentlypositioned and fixed to the deck of the dry dock adjacent the ship'shull. By use of appropriate sensors, the mobile system acquirespositioning or guidance data from the line, virtual or actual, which isthen processed by the mobile system to enable its movement alongside andrelative to the work surface. This is accomplished in coordination withthe surface measurement data previously acquired and processed.

After surface measurement data is acquired, processing and the mobilesystem guidance instructions are programmed, the system selects theappropriate tool for the next task to be performed. The computerprocesses data received to determine the optimum tool path for theprocess step to be performed. The upper end of an articulated arm isdesigned to carry a variety of tools connected by means of aninterchangeable wrist. A single mobile system can be used to performmobile process steps, one step at a time, by tool exchange or aplurality of mobile systems can individually hold various tools and actin tandem performing service preparation followed directly by coatingapplication.

With the area to be painted having been appropriately evaluated, servicepreparation and recovery is employed which includes a cleaning andsurface preparation apparatus, preferably Ultra High Pressure (UHP)water jets and a vacuum shroud for recovery, and a means for filtrationof spent water and removed material.

The coatings application winch is disclosed herein encompasses aplurality of spray heads and sensors in a vacuum shroud configurationdesigned to control and optimize the uniform application of coatingswhile addressing environmental concerns.

Prior to the application of coatings, typically the surface of thetargeted work is cleaned and prepared for application of the coatings.This step typically requires removal of oxides, chlorides, rust andother contaminants as well as the removal of existing coatings. Apreferred surface preparation tool incorporates UHP water blastingmethods and also provides a means of debris capture, water filtrationand recycling by utilizing a vacuum shroud which is sufficient to meetenvironmental compliance concerns. The tool is physically attached tothe end of the articulated robot arm and functions as an end effectorwhile being connected to various supply lines requisite for itsoperation. Appropriate sensors are positioned on the tools to acquirereal time data to position the tool and assist in carrying out theprocess.

The physical attachment may be accomplished automatically by robotprogramming and utilizing an interchangeable wrist, or in part, it maybe assisted by a technician monitoring the system's operation. Onceattached, the required UHP water pressure lines, vacuum conduits,filtration and recycle lines, if provided, may be connected by atechnician or connected by automatic means. Utilizing the previouslyacquired surface measuring data, the system engages a work surface andis directed by a computer in a prescribed manner to accomplish thesurface preparation process. The surface preparation tool is properlypositioned relative to the work surface in a fashion required by themethod used. Speed of movement, both vertically and horizontally, isdetermined by the extent of surface preparation required as assessedautomatically through real time digital image processing, or throughmanual inspection means, or both. Inasmuch as each work surface may bedifferent and provide a unique challenge, the system is thus capable ofoperating in both automated and manual modes. The actual servicepreparation process may, at times, require intervention by a technicianfor direct operator control. This may be necessary for particularproblem areas or for sections that automated means and tooling may findit hard to reach and consequently may be impractical. The requisiteequipment associated with the surface preparation, power pumps, vacuumfiltration and recycling system, etc. may be simply located in the workarea to facilitate the service preparation procedure. Alternatively, theequipment may be positioned on an adjacent mobile supply platform whichmoves in concert with the mobile system. Once the surface preparationstep has been completed and properly verified, the coatings applicationproblem can then commence. In a like fashion as described above, thecoating application tool is also physically attached to the wrist at theend of the robot arm and functions as an end effector. Fluid, air andelectrical supply lines, if required, are all properly attached thereto.This may be, again, accomplished by automatic means through robotprogramming and utilizing the interchangeable wrist, or it may beassisted as necessary by a technician monitoring the system's operation.Appropriate Sensors are positioned on the coating tool to acquire realtime data for positioning and to assist in carrying out the process aswell as to ensure maximum uniformity and accuracy in application of thecoatings. Requisite supply equipment associated with the coatingapplication process is preferably centrally located to facilitate thesurface preparation procedure. Alternatively, the supply equipment maybe positioned on an adjacent mobile supply platform which moves inconcert with the supply system. Included in the application equipmentfor the coatings is a means by which automated material re-supply isaccomplished without stopping the coating process. To accomplishautomated re-supply, appropriate monitoring devices are incorporated inthe system.

The equipment comprising the mobile system is not a permanentinstallation in or at a dry dock or other facility, but rather may belowered into the work area or removed by cranes as needed.

The system essentially requires the integration and coordination of twomajor software programs. The first controls movements of the mobilesystem alongside the work piece, for example, along a ship's hull frombow to stern. The second program has the primary task of maintaining thetool position relative to the surface being coated. The proximity,stand-off angle and speed with which the tool is positioned and moved inrelation to the work surface is determined by the function beingperformed and the data necessary to be collected to enable automaticoperations. A sensor for measuring the thickness of coatings isintegrated into the automated coating process to report the thickness ofthe coatings in real time, thus permitting enhanced control anduniformity of the coatings application process. The software program mayalso include the surface data acquisition routines or may be astand-alone element. All programs are interrelated and as such have thenecessary interfaces with each other to enable the desired operations ofthe invention. Care is taken to implement methods of process, checking,and error avoidance.

Other objects, adaptabilities and capabilities of the invention willappear as the description progresses, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view clan array of paint spray guns as usedat the bow of a ship's hull which is being painted;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the array of paint spray guns asshown in FIG. 1 which illustrates the spray patterns used for the upwardrun adjacent to that illustrated in FIG. 1 as well as further runs whichapply paint to the ship's hull until reaching the stern of the ship;

FIG. 3 is a further schematic view of the spray paint array shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 which illustrates the use of one of the paint spray gunsfor touchup operations; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic view which illustrates the other component partsof the invention including the mobile platform, the wagon trailer, theautomated articulated arm assembly and the treatment stage for cleaningor painting a ship's hull mounted on the end of the articulated armassembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The invention eliminates or minimizes paint wastage for the painting ofships' hulk and other large outdoor structures and, at the same time,provides a uniform thickness in the application. The painting system ofthe invention is essentially fully automated whereby there is no needfor an operator to be provided on the self-energized and self-propelledmobile platform for controlling the motion of the platform along a sideof the ship's hull or other large structure to be painted whileperforming the painting function.

As seen in the figures, the mobile support platform 20 follows a line 16which as described above may be actual or virtual. As shown in FIG. 1,for painting the exterior surface of a ship's hull 21, an assemblageunit or array 22 a paint spray guns is provided. Along the array thereare five paint spray guns 10, 11, 12, 13 and 17, each of which canprovide adjustable spray fan patterns. Thus a forty-five inch widthspray pattern is provided using the four spray guns, each of whichprovides an eighteen inch in width spray fan pattern. This isaccomplished by paint spray guns, 10, 11, 12, and 13 which are alignedhorizontally. The auxiliary spray gun 17 is adjusted to provide a nineinch width spray fan pattern. Accordingly, the paint spray patternemanating from the four spray guns 10, 11, 12, and 13, and the auxiliaryspray gun 17, as illustrated in FIG. 1 provide a forty-five inch widespray pattern commencing on the left as seen in FIG. 1 at the stem 24 ofthe ship that has the hull which is being painted. Each spray gun, 10,11, 12, 13, and 17 is positioned perpendicular to the working surface.The spray guns spray patterns are offset sufficiently to avoid paintcollisions whereby the patterns may be in a shallow echelon oralternate.

Assuming, for example that a uniform thickness of ten mil. is desired tobe applied to the ships hull 21, initially a left end sensor 14 of therobotic system locates the top left corner point of hull 21. As a robotfaces the ship's side to be painted using position sensors mounted ateither side of the paint spray system, the robot positions the array 22so that, commencing at the top forward edge of the ship's hull 21, array22 is parallel to and the spray guns are pointed at hull 21. The spraypaint gun array 22 is supplied with paint so that when the paint impactsthe surface, each spray gun pattern leaves a five mil. thickness ofpaint. Each of the four spray guns, 10, 11, 12, and 13 Sprays aneighteen inch wide fan pattern and the auxiliary gun 17 sprays a nineinch wide fan pattern depicted in FIG. 1. As the paint is being applied,array 22 is moved vertically downwardly at a uniform rate relative tohull 21, maintaining a uniform distance from hull 21 until an entireforty-five inch wide strip on hull 21 is painted to the ship's waterline25. After reaching the end of the vertical travel to waterline 25 of theship, spray paint gun array 22 is secured and moved thirty-six inches tothe right at waterline level 25 of hull 21, the paint supply toauxiliary gun 17 is secured, and with the other spray guns beingactivated, painting is resumed by moving the paint gun array 22vertically upwardly adjacent along hull 21 with a nine inch overlap onthe strip just painted as shown in FIG. 2 until the next strip ispainted by array 22 after being secured, shifted thirty-six inches tothe right and reactivated again moving to the ship's waterline 25. Afterreaching the end of the vertical travel to waterline 25 of the ship, thespray paint gun array 22 is again moved thirty-six inches to the rightat the waterline of hull 21 while the paint supply to the spray guns issecured and painting is resumed by moving the paint gun array 22vertically upwardly adjacent to the just painted strip along the hull 21with a nine inch overlap on the strip just painted until the next stripis painted in a downwardly manner to waterline 25 whereupon the processis continued until the stern of the ship has been reached as signaled bysensor 15. If portions of the stern are above the waterline then thedownward limits of each such strip coincide with the longitudinal centerline of a ship's hull 21. In painting the last strip, paint spray gunsin the left portion of array 22 are secured or adjusted as necessary toprevent overspray. If desired, painting of the last strip on the righthand side of hull 21 may be deferred for subsequent touch up by paintspray gun 17.

When the painting of the ship's hull 21 is completed between its upperedges and down to the waterline 25 another paint appropriate forunderwater use is spray painted between the waterline and the keel ofthe ship in the same manner described above which may require thetemporary removal of selected keel blocks to ensure that the coating ofthe underside of hull 21 is complete or the program may provide that thekeel portion be painted by paint spray gun 17 in a separate operation.

As indicated above, certain areas to be painted may be reserved for thetouch-up spray paint gun 17 as illustrated in FIG. 3. But this does notnecessarily mean that the touch-up areas are not automatically paintedas a part of the original programming for the ship involved. Usuallythese areas will be at or close to the stem and stern of the vesselbeing painted and also around openings in hull 21 such as the condensercooling water outlet. In each case, the desired thickness of the coatingsuch as ten mil. will be used unless in certain areas, a thicker coatingmay be specified.

It is emphasized that the travel of the robotic painting system alongthe length of the ship's hull 21 is accomplished without a person beingpositioned in mobile platform 20. A guidance system using ultrasonic,infrared, laser or other means is mounted on the chassis of mobileplatform 20 which reads a reference track 16 that may be a painted line,laser line, tape line, or may be virtual such as is possible with GPS,LGPS or other means. In this manner automated movement of mobileplatform 20 in relation to the ship's hull 21 or any other largestructure to be painted may be automated. As mobile platform 20 movesalong reference line 16, the positioning of array 22 or equipment usedfor cleaning the hull of the ship in preparation for painting iscontrolled in relation to the ship's hull 21 by data from sensors 14 and15, or any other structure being painted, by sensors operativelyconnected to array 22 or other equipment via control of the articulatedarm 27.

FIG. 4 is schematic drawing which illustrates the combined components ofthe invention. An important aspect of the invention is its capacity toprovide the automated treatment of large structures such as, inparticular, the exteriors of ships' hulls. Before said structures arepainted it is, as previously indicated, usually necessary to removeexisting paint and clean the surface of the structure in preparation forthe painting operation. Many systems exist for cleaning variousstructures for the purpose of coating same. For example, sand, fiberblasting media impregnated with alumina, steel grit and other types ofgrit may be propelled against the surface to be painted whereby existingpaint, corrosion and adhering sea flora and fauna are removed. In suchcase, the sand or grit or other blasting media, and the removed materialneeds to be collected and disposed of or filtered out and re-circulated.For ships' hulls, prefer the use of ultra high pressure water jets. Foran effective system, the jets need to be shrouded and the excess water,together with the removed paint and corrosive matter, is filtered. Thewater, once filtered, can be re-circulated or disposed of. The materialwhich has been filtered from the water is disposed of in an appropriatemanner, but may also be, in some cases, reclaimed for use as a fuel orotherwise.

In FIG. 4, an assemblage unit, array 22, may be considered in anextensive sense for illustrative purposes, as a means for removing paintand cleaning the surface to be painted in which case the material whichhas functioned for removal, that may be water or spent grit togetherwith removed paint, corrosion, etc. is transferred from assemblage unit22 which is shown in FIG. 4 via a conduit 37 to container 35 and thefiltered water is re-circulated. This may be accomplished through pipingof 36. As discussed previously, container 35 may be carried in a wagon31 which is towed by mobile platform 20. Assemblage unit 22 invariablyincorporates a shroud and other means for collecting material removedfrom the surface being cleaned. It should be appreciated that unit 22can be controlled for movement in the same manner as discussed for theautomated painted process except that normally the cleaning operation isthe same whether above or below waterline 25. In the painting operation,container 35 may, again in an extensive sense for illustrative purposes,contain the paint to be applied to the ship's hull. Normally this wouldbe accomplished by a plurality of fifty-five gallon drums of paint beingcarried by wagon 31. However, any adequate type of container orcontainers may be employed for this purpose. If a plurality of thebarrels or other containers are used then an arrangement is required forthe containers to deliver the paint therein cries. For the cleaning orpainting purposes, mobile platform 20 automatically follows line 16whether marked or virtual. For the cleaning operation, the articulatedarm 27 is programmed to move over substantially the entire surface ofhull 21 from stem 24 to stern. In the painting operation, any paintwhich may escape adherence to hull 21 such as overspray is removed byvacuum via vacuum source 32 through conduit 34 whereupon it may beconveyed to a container 35 carried by wagon 31. In FIG. 4, keel blocks40 are shown. Normally the keel blocks are constructed of wood, but, ifmovable and automated their removal and replacement may be arranged aspart of the automated system of the invention. Openings such as for ananchor or for condenser cooling water are not shown in FIG. 4 eventhough they are likely to be present on one side or both sides of thevessel. However, with automated cleaning equipment and touch-up spraypainting guns 17, both automated cleaning and automated painting aroundthese openings and to some extent within such openings, if desired, maybe provided.

Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/540,623 and prior patents andpublications referred to herein and in such Provisional Application areincorporated by reference. The computer programming and the designs ofthe articulated arms are well within the expertise of those skilled insuch arts. Although UHP water jets are preferred means for the initialstep of preparing a surface for coatings, other known processes may beemployed such as abrasive cleaning with sand or grit, including steelgrit. Also various known means for applying coatings may be utilizedincluding airless, air assisted airless, air, a spinning disc,triangular or fan-shaped spray, round, oval or elliptical spraypatterns, and conical shapes spray patterns may be utilized. Thecoatings may be primer, anti-fouling, anti-corrosive, powder, metallicsuch as nickel flame coatings similar to those prescribed by the Corpsof Engineers for painting bridges, polyurethanes, polymers, epoxies andother coating materials known to the art may be used. The coatings maybe applied with electrostatic charges usually in ranges to 50,000 to100,000 volts whereupon their adherence to a grounded steel hull isenhanced. For coatings which are heated to provide fusion or melting,heating means of an appropriate source may be employed such as a laseras part of the coating tool. The invention thus not only applies toconventional coating material, but also to processes for applyingunconventional materials by unconventional means. It will be furtherunderstood that although I have disclosed the preferred embodiments ofmy invention, it is capable of other adaptations and modificationswithin the scope of the following claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A mobile device for treating surfaces of alarge structure comprising: an unmanned computer-controlled vehicle,said vehicle adapted to move along a virtual line adjacent to said largestructure and continuously updated by a computer, the automated movementof said vehicle along said virtual line being flexible, dynamic andsubstantially continuous, wherein said automated movement along saidvirtual line is not along a track; at least one articulatedcomputer-controlled arm, said at least one articulatedcomputer-controlled arm mounted onto said vehicle; at least one tool,said at least one tool affixed to respective terminal ends of said atleast one articulated computer-controlled arm; and at least one sensor,said at least one sensor being associated with each said at least onetool, wherein the relationship of each said at least one tool withregard to said surface of said large surface is computer-controlled. 2.The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one toolcomprises a sprayer, said automated treatment being the spraying of atreatment material on said surface.
 3. The mobile device according toclaim 2, wherein said sprayer comprises a paint sprayer.
 4. The mobiledevice according to claim 2, wherein said sprayer comprises an array ofspray guns, said automated treatment comprising moving said array ofarray guns a uniform distance from said surface and at a uniform speedacross said surface, whereby a substantially uniform coating thicknessis applied.
 5. The mobile device according to claim 4, wherein saidarray of spray guns sprays said treatment material in substantiallyfan-shaped patterns across said surface.
 6. The mobile device accordingto claim 5, wherein said fan-shaped patterns overlap.
 7. The mobiledevice according to claim 6, wherein said fan-shaped patterns areselected from the group consisting of fan-shaped patterns that overlapeach other at about 50%, fan-shaped patterns that are triangular as seenin a direction parallel to said surface, and combinations thereof. 8.The mobile device according to claim 4, wherein one of said sprayers insaid array of spray guns is controlled independently of another spraygun in said array of spray guns.
 9. The mobile device according to claim4, wherein one of said sprayers in said array of spray guns isindependently controllable relative to another spray gun in said arrayof spray guns.
 10. The mobile device according to claim 4, whereinadjacent of said patterns from adjacent corresponding spray guns areslightly offset to avoid substantial collisions occurring in coatingmaterial sprayed by said corresponding paint spray guns.
 11. The mobiledevice according to claim 10, wherein said patterns are offset one fromthe other in a shallow echelon arrangement.
 12. The mobile deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein at least one of said at least one toolscomprises a surface cleaning tool, said surface cleaning tool removesexisting coatings, corrosion, rust adhering to said surface from saidsurface.
 13. The mobile device according to claim 12, wherein saidsurface cleaning tool is selected from the group consisting of waterjets, ultra-high pressure water jets, abrasive sprayers, sponge jets,laser coating ablation, and combinations thereof.
 14. The mobile deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein said at least one tool further comprisesat least one thickness sensor, said at least one thickness sensoroperatively associated with said at least one tool for measuring thethickness of a material treatment coating in real time as it is beingapplied to said surface.
 15. The mobile device according to claim 1,wherein at least one of said at least one sensor senses the status oftreatment across said surface.
 16. The mobile device according to claim1, wherein said large structure is a ship in a dry dock, said vehicleguiding the treatment along said virtual line, said virtual line beingsubstantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ship.
 17. Themobile device according to claim 1, wherein the treatment of the surfaceis accomplished in separate operations.
 18. The mobile device accordingto claim 17, wherein said surface is a ship hull, the separateoperations of the treatment of the surface comprising the portion ofsaid ship hull above the ship's waterline and the part of said hullbelow said ship's waterline.
 19. The mobile device according to claim 1,further comprising: at least one shroud, said at least one shroudcovering the portion of said large surface under treatment.
 20. Themobile device according to claim 19, wherein said shroud is a vacuumshroud.